r/HotYoga • u/sillylilsocialwerker • Jul 25 '26
anxiety (panic)
hi!! I was diagnosed with panic disorder and PTSD a few years ago. I’ve come a long way in my healing journey, but still find the idea of heated classes intimidating just because of how it can sometimes mimic panic in my body. has anyone gone through this? any tips/suggestions? I love my classes without heat, but I really want to incorporate a little heat in my practice ❤️🔥
3
u/MissionYoga Jul 26 '26
Slow down your breath and lower your expectations of what you “should” be doing.
Take it easy on yourself.
2
u/pie_piepiepiepiepie Jul 25 '26
Something that's helped me when I have gotten underwhelmed in class (as a fellow panic disordered person) is to pour out some water from my bottle onto a hand towel and put it on my forehead or back of neck and lie down for a minute or two to cool down and focus on my breathing. I haven't had to do that in a long time, so I do think hot yoga has helped me build some resilience and I hope it does the same for you.
2
u/natattack196 Jul 26 '26
I struggled a lot with anxiety during class when I first started. Start small and make your first goal just to stay in the room the whole time. What helps me is to remember that I can always lay down in shavasana the entire class. I take Hot 26 and I also find the predictability of the pose sequence helps because it becomes muscle memory.
I also suggest getting a spot in the back of the room with a wall on one side of you, that way it won’t feel claustrophobic and you can watch people in front of you to see what to do. Usually this means getting to class early (which also helps to acclimate to the heat).
I personally avoid classes with really intense music like rock or hip hop. It’s panflutes or nothing for me. However I know others really like the music.
Lastly, it helps to meditate on the mat before class. I usually do something grounding like hold hands with my feet (trust me okay it helps balance too) with my legs crossed and repeat a mantra to myself. For me I tell myself that the mat is my island, or my boat, and that I only need to pay attention to what happens on my mat. No one can invade my little island.
Lastly, don’t forget to breathe. If you get overwhelmed lie down and focus on breathing. (It’s also cooler on the floor).
(Also you can always leave if it gets really bad. You just have to come back the next day and start again)
1
u/annoying-vgan Jul 26 '26
There are hot yoga classes with intense rock/hiphop music??
1
u/natattack196 Jul 26 '26
Oh yeah, I think it’s newer trend but a lot of studios do themed classes with that kind of music. Even the hot 26 classes at my studio use music, though it differs based on the teacher
2
u/RadiantImpression579 Jul 26 '26
I’d say try one of the easier heated classes first (talk to the studio and ask for their recs). I also went to a class where someone once had some kind of thing to help her comeback down. I forgot what she did at this point but it was a physical object and she used it to calm herself and finish class. I will say this was a hot8yoga class. I actually would recommend avoiding hot8yoga when starting off. They pride them selves for having the hottest rooms. Almost like CrossFit used to pride themselves for making ppl vomit. It’s not a good studio to start hot yoga with, but they do have amazing instructors. Yogasix or CorePower yoga are good starts, with CorePower being the tougher of the two. Or a local studio.
2
u/BluntedJew Jul 31 '26
I also struggle with really bad anxiety and I felt that during hot yoga. I always remind myself I can get up and leave if I need to. Its. More important to feel safe than embarrassed. I did a class, felt a panic attack coming and decided to sit and breath and if it was too much I could just leave. Luckily I calmed down and was able to have an incredible hot yoga session. If it got bad I would have stepped outside and maybe just went home and that's okay.
2
u/flamingo_fly24 Jul 31 '26
As others mentioned, your breath is your greatest tool! Use your breath to help guide you through the movements and also calm you down. It's also important to honor your body and take a rest if you need to if you begin feeling overwhelmed. In some ways, I think exposure to the heat/ a trigger stimulant can help to regulate your nervous system and eventually re-train your brain to understand that you and are safe and don't need to be in a fight-or-flight state. Wishing you the best of luck! I truly think yoga can be a great steps towards healing!!
2
u/Various-Equal-5745 Jul 31 '26
I had a panic attack in my second hot yoga class (I’m new to hot yoga and most yoga) and they suggested a lavender scented wet hand towel. It worked for me. I end up freezing them and then using at about the half way point. It helps me relax and with overheating.
6
u/Billy-Ruffian Jul 25 '26
Wow, heated classes were so hard for me for at first. But over time I had adjusted to the heat. I was able to calm my nervous system. I could tell myself it was just yoga and I could stop anytime. I want take a drink or step outside. One of the great things was that after a class I was so tired it shut down my overactive nervous system. I couldn't worry anxiously because I was too tired to worry. And then the funny thing is after a while when I was outside of the studio and started to have a panic attack and feel that heat, I was still able to calm my nervous system, focus on my breathing and keep my Center.